What’s Common Between Your Time and a Credit Card?
The illusion of freedom.
People spend more when they use a credit card.
Why?
Because the transaction is painless.
You don’t hand over physical cash.
The cost is delayed.
The pain is muted.
The more credit you have, the more freely you spend.
This is the exact trap many leaders fall into with their time.
The Leadership Time Trap
We treat our minutes like a line of credit.
Infinite. Easy to spend.
And the “bill” will somehow be handled later.
You say yes to an unnecessary meeting because it feels easy right now.
You take on a non-strategic project because “the time is available.”
But here is the truth:
- Financial debt can be repaid.
- Time debt cannot.
The cost is not delayed.
It is instant and permanent.
That one hour in a low-value meeting is not “just an hour.”
It is an hour you did not use for:
- High-impact strategic work
- Innovation
- Deep thinking
- Coaching your best people
Your Time Is Your Only Non-Renewable Asset
Stoic philosopher Seneca advised:
“Let no one rob me of a single day who isn’t going to make a full return on the loss.”
For a leader, this is not selfishness.
It is fiduciary duty.
Your most valuable asset is your time:
- To set vision
- To coach your team
- To make irreversible decisions
It is finite.
Treat it like cash.
Demand a fair trade for every minute.
The Practical Actionable: The “Cash-Only” Audit
Starting today, run a Cash-Only Audit on your calendar.
Before accepting any commitment (meeting, side project, “quick” request), ask:
- Immediate Value
What is the specific, tangible return this gives me or the organization in the next 24 hours–7 days? - Opportunity Cost
What high-value task am I not doing if I say yes to this?
If the immediate value does not beat the opportunity cost, you are swiping on time credit.
In that case:
- Say No
- Or Delegate
- Or ask for a written update instead of a meeting
Example:
“If this 60-minute meeting were paid in cash at my hourly rate, would I still attend?”
Credit card debt bankrupts your bank account.
Time debt bankrupts your potential.
Stop selling your leadership too cheaply.
Demand a full return on every single minute.
What is the lowest-return item you are cutting from your calendar this week?